Blachford Lake Lodge is proud to have hosted Their Royal Highnesses, Prince William and Catherine, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, as part of their Royal Tour of Canada
On the 5th of July, 2011, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge boarded a Twin Otter float plane in Yellowknife for a twenty-minute excursion over the boreal wilderness of the Canadian Shield, and then landed on Blachford Lake, a remote 14-mile long lake near the East Arm of Great Slave Lake. The Duke and Duchess were greeted by Mike Freeland, owner of Blachford Lake Lodge, and his wife, Tessa Macintosh, who together welcomed the royal couple with a tour through the premise’s organic gardens, greenhouse and hand-crafted log lodge.
Their Royal Highnesses came to Blachford upon the invitation of the Dechinta Bush University Centre for Research and Learning, a land-based educational initiative located at Blachford Lake Lodge. Led by northern experts, elders and professors, Dechinta offers classes on First Nations history, Indigenous languages, self governance, the environment and the arts.
While at Blachford, the royal couple took part in Dechinta classes and learned about traditional ways of preparing caribou meat, smoking fish, uses of medicinal plants, and moose hide tanning. The couple then joined students and instructors where they took part in a discussion on Indigenous governance, education and sustainable community development.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge then paddled a canoe out to Eagle Island on Blachford Lake, where they enjoyed a private dinner of caribou, arctic char, whitefish and cranberry bannock beside a campfire. For the first time on their Royal Tour of Canada, the royal couple were able to take in the peace and beauty of truly great Canadian landscape. In regards to their visit to the island, Prince William said the time was “magical”.
For further reading on the Royal Visit at Blachford Lake Lodge please see the following news sources:
The Daily Mail UK
The Guardian UK
William and Kate canoe to a deserted Canadian island
CBC News
Will and Kate to visit N.W.T. ‘bush university’